The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-03
Not a Protection Convert.

The statement having gained considerable
currency that Gov. Gordon, in his speech at
the laying of the cornerstone of the Nation
al Exposition of American Industries at
Nashville last week, expressed sentiments
that seemed to indicate that he had become
a convert to the doctrine of protection, we
have taken occasion to examine the speech
and fail to end anything in it which iusti-
fes the statement in question. We repro
duce the speech in another column of this
issue, and our readers can Judge for them
selves whether or not Gov Gordon has gone
over to the protection camp They will find
nothing in it that does not show that he is
the genuine tariff reformer that he has al
ways been
The occasion was not one that called for a
political speech, and what Gov. Gordon said
on the tariff issue was only incidental to the
other subjects which he touched upon. His
main idea seemed to be that the South of
fered superior advantages to the North for
manufacturing, and that nearly all kinds Of
manufactured articles could be produced at
the South at less cost than at the North
he advised Northern manufacturers not to
remain at the North and worry themselves
about the tariff, but to come South where
they would have the satisfaction of feeling
themselves wholly independent of it.
He did not undertake to discuss the ques-
ton whether or not protection is necessary
to the Northern manufacturer, but simply
| assumed that the Northern manufacturer
| considered it to be, and advised him to
| come where he wouldn't regard it to be nee
essary. If Gov Gordon were asked If
| he thought that a protective tariff
was harmful to the best in
J terests of tire country there is no
reasonsto doubt that he would answer in the
affirmative As a level-headed statesman
he could not answer otherwise. The ablest
| advocates of protection in the early days of
the Republic only asked for it while the in
| dustries of the country were in their
infancy. They were not such believers in
| protection as to expect that it would be
continued when these industries attained a
ripe old age. And whatever benefit was
derived from it when the country was poor
and sparsely populated, it is an easy matter
| to demonstrate that it it is a hindrance now
to the country's prosperity
| DuJ Wf1aU we WISH 10 draw aUUe0UlOn 10
particularly in Gen. Gordons speech is the
| prominence which he gives to the advan-
tages of manufacturing which the South
possesses. They are so marked that they
ought to attract the attention of the whole
world. The South's wealth of raw materials
and her climate, which admits of cheap liv-
ing and continuous work the year around,
ought to be in themselves sufficient to in
I duce manufactures to abandon the North
and seek the South. The greatest of the
manufactures of the South feel that they are
able to compete successfully with those of
any other country if the conditions are
made favorable for them, and it is
safe to say that their wares would be
found in every market of the globe if they
were relieved of the burden of protection. A
protective tariff confines them to a home
market, which, being unable to absorb all
that is put upon it, frequently forces them
to suffer from the evils of overproduction
No, Gov Gordon hasn't joined the pro-
tectionists. The protection organs have
been in too big hurry to claim him for a
| convert